Kevin Gournay

He has been responsible for a number of initiatives that have improved mental health care, including:

• Guidance on the Observation of Patients at Risk in Mental Health Services
• UKCC Report on the Management of Violence in Mental Health Settings
• Chair, NICE Guidance on the Short Term Management of Disturbed/Violent Behaviour in Mental Health and Emergency Settings
• Serving as a special advisor to the UK Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights
• Consultant to World Health Organization

Gournay has served on numerous government bodies. He is President and founding Patron of No Panic, one of the UK's largest anxiety disorders charity.

• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal College of Psychiatrists (Honorary)
• Academy of Medical Sciences
• Royal Society of Medicine
• Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society

• CBE : Queens New Year's Honours 1999
• Honorary Doctor of Science
• Nurse of the Year (American Psychiatric Nursing Association, 2004)

He originally trained as a Behaviour Therapist at the Maudsley Hospital between 1976– 1978 on the famous Nurse Therapy Programme, directed by Professor Isaac Marks. His doctoral thesis focussed on a randomised controlled trial on treatments for Agoraphobia. Throughout his career, since he completed his training in 1978, he has worked as a Consultant Psychologist, treating literally thousands of patients with a range of anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD and mood disorders. He retired from clinical work in December 2018.

Gournay has held major research grants, since 1980, notably in the cognitive behavioural treatment of phobic anxiety, body image disorders, the use of medication, epidemiology, health economics and community mental health. At the present time, he chairs the advisory board that has oversight of 50+ projects at the Centre for Research Excellence in Comorbidity at the Matilda Centre, University of Sydney, where he spends several weeks each year. He is the author of approximately 300 journal articles, conference papers (national and international), books, book chapters and reports. He published a textbook on agoraphobia in 1989 and has published widely on anxiety disorders. He has considerable media experience with numerous contributions to TV, Radio, Newspapers, Journals and Magazines.

Gournay set up and ran the UK's first multi-disciplinary Masters programme for mental health professionals in the area of interventions for serious mental illness. He has had attachments Universities and Services in the UK, Ireland, USA and Australia, where he has taught on the subjects of post traumatic stress and the management of severe mental illness. He has directed a number of training programmes for mental health professionals (doctors, psychologists and nurses) and his experience includes teaching in a number of countries including other European countries as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Palestine and Russia.

Gournay has a range of other interests. He acts as a clinical advisor to an organisation that provides enhanced supported living for people with a mental illness. He serves as a member of the Psychiatry Council of the Royal Society of Medicine.

He is a supporter and season ticket holder of Charlton Athletic FC; his Dad Joe took him to his first match in 1951. He is a member of Broxbourne Running Club and the Veteran of 17 Marathons. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife Jean and has 4 children and 3 grandchildren.

Gournay is the author or editor of 17 books and monographs and more than 300 chapters, articles, books and conference papers, including:

• Biodata